Four Kicks Sublime by Crowned Heads

I’ve heard a lot of things (both good and not-so-good) about Four Kicks during the later part of last year that it was really easy to get swept away by the buzz. Now that the dust has “somewhat settled” (though Crowned Heads’ “Headley Grange” project is due out sometime soon), I figured I’d check out what the fuss was all about through the Sublime vitola that I got in trade with fellow IG cigar aficionado @Masfy.

Quick Details

Cigar size: 6 x 54

Origin: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Price: $8.40 online

Construction

I don’t think anyone can ever say that the Four Kicks Sublime isn’t a good-looking cigar. It’s impressively oily and toothy, and though the body does look a bit lumpy, the sheer lack of any soft spots makes it quite a solid stick both in terms of weight and looks.

There’s a spicy and faint floral note that can be detected from the foot and the body exudes this musty sweet tobacco smell. The draw is a bit on the tight side, but it doesn’t seem to be plugged at all and carries notes of wood and cherry.

Flavor

A distinct combination of wood, leather and earth becomes the foundation for the cigar’s flavor profile. Faint chocolate notes also become part of the flavor, and spice also starts to intermingle with the other flavor components in the cigar’s medium finish. wood and leather come out as the dominant flavors especially around the last part of this third.

While wood and leather notes are still the dominant flavors during the second third, an interesting sweet component that shifts between cherry, coffee and citrus-like flavors begin to take part in the action. There’s a beautiful smoothness to the delivery of these flavors and overall, the smoking experience is quite fantastic. The spicy sensation is still present in the finish, but it’s not as evident as it was during the previous third of the stick.

By the time the burn line reaches the last third, the sweetness element of the cigar settles into a molasses-like flavor and is accompanied by creamy notes of wood and faint hints of coffee. The entire experience is still smooth though it is considerably more complex and richer. Faint appearances of the spicy sensation is still present, but it’s a “touch-and-go” type of element to the smoking experience.

Burn

Unfortunately, the Sublime’s burn line leaves a lot to be desired. It starts out very even only to have one side lag and form advancing gaps at certain sections. It does eventually show some semblance of evenness around the second third of the stick only to develop lagging sections again especially during the last part of the second third and eventually needed a touch-up. The ash was decent and held on until the second third of the cigar, and the smoke was delightfully thick and creamy.

Overall Insights

In terms of flavor, the Four Kicks Sublime from Crowned Heads is a very enjoyable cigar. It hits the right places in terms of complexity, balance and sophistication. This can very well be a great top-shelf cigar, but unfortunately, problems with its burn thumps it down to a fourth-drawer stick. I suggest dry-boxing the cigar overnight to see whether it will alleviate the burn problems.

2 Comments

I’m a big fan of the Four Kicks. I’ve mostly smoked the Corona Gorda & Robusto vitolas & haven’t encountered any burn issues. If someone is trying these for the for first time, I’d reccomend the Robusto.